04/15/2024
It is with an extremely heavy heart that we must share with you that our Father, George E. Smillie, has passed on from this world to the next. While I tell you this with epic sadness in my heart we do take solace in knowing that Dad no longer hurts, May he find his voice again in heaven and maybe even a decent bowling alley to get some strikes in. Dad never lost his bright outlook on people. Throughout the process he would always ask my sister if “She was ok” and she’d say “Are you ok?” and his reply would be that he’s ok if she’s ok. His mind was always with him right to the end. His intent to care and shield his family stuck as well. Sadly his body just couldn’t carry him anymore.
We’d like to thank everyone who sent cards (pics of the card walls included) to the Restaurant for us to share with him. Your well wishes and notes mean much to all of us and Dad definitely enjoyed the memories you brought back to him. Some folks going way back to times before my sister and I were even here and Murphy Mart was still king. Dad passed at 69 years of age. In his time on Earth he touched the lives of many people along the way. We always thought this but we know it now through your notes and prayers. We would also like to thank the staff in Select Specialty out of Latrobe. Dad was with them since mid-December and was treated very well. Frankly the best treatment he received from any “medical place” throughout Dad’s whole medical journey. Special thank you to Molly and Becky for tending to dad in his final hours so gracefully so that we could all just focus on being with him. Thank you Doug on Dialysis. You could have been an honory Smillie for how much time you spent in our circle. we appreciate your great attention to dad in his time of need for your services.
Our father before opening Smillie’s in 1995 worked for Murphy Mart & G.C. Murphy Company in their restaurants starting out at the Dishwasher and working his way up to Restaurant Manager. He traveled where the company needed his ability and we followed him. When dad wasn’t cooking and we were young he shared his love of Pizza, Bowling, Parks, and for the time we lived in Riverdale, Maryland a regular disc golfer. Not by any professional standards mind you as Dad’s outfit of choice was always black work pants and a white T shirt. Maybe add flannel if necessary. He had a quite a few frisbees and other things he tinkered with that looked like they might pass for a Frisbee and fly. It combined all things he loved as he could be outside to do it, there was trees, and it was a family friendly activity. Sadly when we moved back home in the summer of 93’ he wasn’t able to find any courses out here and hung it up to concentrate on another dream he’d had for a while. His own Restaurant.
Dad will be viewed at Kepple Graft Funeral Home in Greensburg PA (below Greensburg Salem Middle School) on Thursday, 4/18/24, 4pm to 7pm, with funeral services held Friday, 4/19/24 promptly at noon. Further internment at Westmoreland County Memorial Park to join the rest of the Smillie Clan who’ve gone before us. In the time to come we look forward to sharing more stories from the George Smillie archives as well as hearing some of your own.
Thank you.
